The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, participated in the deliberations of the Council for Foreign Affairs (FAC) of the European Union, held today in Brussels.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, participated in the deliberations of the Council for Foreign Affairs (FAC) of the European Union, held today in Brussels.

During the Council’s deliberations, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms Federica Mogherini, briefed Ministers about the agreement reached on Iran’s nuclear program. In his intervention, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, after welcoming the achieving of the agreement, he stressed that the EU, through the High Representative and the three partners involved in all stages of the negotiations, played a key role in the successful outcome of the talks. “I warmly congratulate the colleagues for their contribution, which indicates the extent of the role EU can play on the international stage,” noted Minister Kasoulides. In conclusion, he said that the agreement could pave the way for solving the problems that beset the Middle East such as Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Meanwhile, speaking during the debate on the Middle East Peace Process, Minister Kasoulides noted that the situation “on the ground” requires small but steady steps, which in the coming months can strengthen the efforts to re-launch the peace process. In that regard, stressed Mr Kasoulides, High Representative, Ms Mogherini, and EU Special Representative for the Middle East, Mr Fernando Gentilini, should continue and intensify their contacts with the parties involved.

Other issues for discussion were the developments in Libya and the EU 2015-2019 Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy. Ministers of Foreign Affairs also attended a working lunch, during which they discussed the situation in Tunisia, in the presence of the Prime Minister of the country, Mr Habib Essid, and the Foreign Minister, Mr Taieb Baccouche.
On the FAC’s margins, Minister Kasoulides signed a bilateral agreement with his Belgian counterpart, Mr Didier Reynders, on Mutual Protection of Classified Information. This Agreement will allow further cooperation between the two countries in areas that require secure exchange of information such as defense and security, as well as the conclusion of other agreements in areas such as economy and industry.